Clip for ropeway cars



Sept. 1l, i923. HASS@ YQTAMAMURA CLIP FOR ROPEWAY CARS Filed Deo. 27, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet l awww@ Sept. ll, 1923.

Y. TAMAMURA CLIP FOR ROPEWAY CARS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 E Filed Dec. 2'/ 1922 HOIMW Septfl l, 1923.

1 EAWE@ Y-. TAMAMURA CLIP FOR ROPEWAY CARS sept. 11, 1923. M6111@ Y. TAMAMURA CLIP FOR ROPEWAY CARS Filed DSC. 27. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. ll, 1923.

Y. TAMAMURA CLIP FOR ROPEWAY-CARS 5 Sheets-Sheet@ Patented Sept. ll, 1923.

narran stains YUSUKE TAMAMU'RA, OF TOKYO-FU, JAPAN, i

CLIP FOR ROPEWAY CARS.

i. Application tiled December 27, 1922. Serial No. 609,361@

To all whom i12/may concern I Be it known that I, YUsUKn TAMAMURA,

a subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing at No. 18 Genbei,Totsuka-inachi, Toyotaniagun, Tokyo-fu, Japan, havel invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clips for Ropeway Cars, of which the following is a specification. u v

This .invention relates to improvements in gravity-operated clips for cars used on ropeways, haulage tramways and the like.

Its object is to provide a clipwhich `has combined in it the essential properties of the clips of different types and which in engaging the rope will act firstly as an integral, then as a neutral, and lastly as a differential clip, and will actin the reverse order when releasing the rope'. v

The clip according to this invention resembles in shape the diiierential vclip invented by meand for which patentwas granted in Japan'as Patent No. 9,896- on ecember 26th, r1905, in the United States of America. on April 16th, 1907, as Patent No, 850,504, and in Great Britain as Patent No. 11,565 of 1907. The construction of thev clip of this invention is, however, more complicated than the one just referred to.

The clip according to this invention is composed of a horizontal lever arm ending in a clip-jaw, a vertical lever-arm vending in another clip-jaw, and an intermediary arm, the three arms and a connecting bar forming four sides of a trapezoid quadrilateral or which the side 'formed bythe intermediary arin is held iiXed while the three other sides are movable.` The head-.pin connecting pivotally the two clip-jaws and the tail-pins of the vertical lever-arm, of the intermediary armv andof the `horizontal lever-arm, form the. vertices of the said quadrilateral.

In a clip formed in this manner, when the eye-bar forming the upper side of the trapezoid turns upward in relation-,to the line connecting the said head-pin and the tailpin of the horizontal lever-arm, which forms the bottom of the trapezoid, the clip-jaws will close and compress the hauling rope.

When the eye-bar turns downward in relation tov the bottom, the clip-jaws will open and release the hauling rope.

The `accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In said drawings-- Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a construction embodying the invention;

Figs. 2 and 8 lare a side view and plan view, respectively, thereof;

Figs t and 5 are views similar t0 Figs. 1 and 2, showing the arrangement in inoperative position;

Figs. 6 and 7 are an end view and a side view, respectively, of an arrangement used in connection with a double rope system for making the device of the invention inoperative.

Fig. 8 is an end view of an arrangement including the invention used in connection with a single rope system.

vFigs. 9 and 10 are a side view and view respectivelythereof. Referring now more particularly to the drawings, Figures 1 to 5 show my improved clip. adapted tor use in the double rope system. The clip comprises the vertical leverarm 7 provided with the jaw 5 and thc horizontal lever-arm 8 provided with the jaw 6, the two jaws being pivotally connected by means of thehead-pin 11. The tail-pin 10 of the horizontal lever-arm is pivotally mounted on a bearer 13 provided at the rear end 0f the main shaft 12 which passes through the eye formed at the upper end of the suspension bar 14. From the said eye extends rearwardly a sleeve upon which the intermediary arm 15 is operably mounted. The arm 15 so mounted counteracts the moment due to the weight of the receptacle. The tail rod 16 is screwed to the intermediary arm 15 which'extends obliquely toy the main shaft 12, and a pair ci eye-bars 18 is connected to the tail rod 16 by means of the tail-pin 17. These eye-bars 18which connect they tail-pin 17 of the intermediary arm 15with the tail-pin 9 of the vertical lever-arm 7, serve to transmit compression from the intermediary to the vertical lever-arm. The line of the said conipression intersects with the line of the reaction of the hauling rope 1 as indicated by the arrow heads in Figure 1. These two forces are counter-balanced by the force acting` at the taii-pinlO of the horizontal leverarm 8. The horizontal component 0i the force acting at the tail-pin 10 is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the horizontal component of the force actingl at the tail-pin of the vertical lever-arm 7.

plan

The excess of the vertical component oi the force at the tail-pin 10 over the vertical component 0i the Jforce at the tail-pin v9 is equal to the reactional force acting unwardly at the head-pin 11.

The moments around the head-pin 11 of' the two forces acting at the tail-.pins 9 and 10 are equal but opposite, being each equal to the product of the horizontal component of either of the two forces multiplied by the distance between the head-pin 11 and the point of intersect-ion of the said three forces. These two moments cause the jawlevers 7 and 8 to-grip'the hauling rope1.

The set of four pins, that is to say, the tail-pin 10 ofV the horizontal lever-arm, the tail-pin 17 of the intermediary arm, the tailpin 9 of the vertical lever-arm and the head pin 11 form t-hevertices oi the trapezoid quadrilateral. The line of the eye-bars '1.8 which form the upper side of the trapezoid, indicates the line of action of the force at the tail-pin 9 of the vertical lever-arm. yThe clip will act differentially, inverse-differentially, or integrally, according 'as the enten sion of the center lineof the eye-bars 18 ycuts the bottom of the trapezoid` formed .by the line connecting the tailapin-l() with the. head pin 11 at a point back oi the pin 10, or between the pin-s 10 and 11, or in rontoii the pin 11;. When the center line of the eyebars 18 is parallel to the bottom o' `the trapezoid, ythe action of the clip is neutral.

When the clip acts differentially., .neutrally or integrally, the downward displace ment of the head-pin 11 will open the jaws. When the clip. acts inverse-differentially, the downward displacement ofthe head pin will close the aws. Setting aside trom consideration the case ot' a clip acting inverse-(sliderentially a comparison of the diiilerential, neutral and the integral `action oi the clip shows that when it acts differentially., the closing and the opening oi' the jaws take place much more slowly and at a much smaller angular opening than when `it acts neutrally or integrally. At the same time the rope-.gripping force of the clip is cousiderably greater when it acts di fiercntially than when it acts neutrally or integrally.

. `I'Iaving these features inA view, the present invention aims to provide a clip which, instead of being, differential, neutral or integral according to itsconstruction, is. capable of acting in three diierent ways so that the jaws will open and close at dittcrent speeds at different stages of operation, while the head pin 11 displaces `up and down with uniform speed.

Figures .Gand 7 show a car for the idoulile rope system provided with my improved clip.. In these igures, the annular bracket 20 which :is voperably mounted on the iront sleeve ofthe suspension bar 14 is Aheld in its .placey by means .of anut 19 ,screwed on the fore end of the main shaft 12. A pair of whe-els 22 arerotatably mounted, in the vertical `plane passing through theheadtpin 11, upon the carriage 24 by means of the pivots 23. In the interior of the carriage 24 a sliding box is provided, Vat each side of which is a lateral slider with a horizontal pin 26 to move vertically. On the pins 26 are operably mounted the pair ofhook bars 25, the lower ends of which are operably mounted on the pins 27 provided on the head-pinll. By this construction, the pair of hook bars forming a. parallelogram transmit the reaction of the carrying rope 2 to the head-pin 11.. Through the central slider which move up vand down inthe sliding box in .the carriage 24 passes` the supporting shaft 29 at both ends of which the side wheels 28 are rotatably mounted. The projections of the supporting shaft 29 and of :the annular bracket 20 are pivotally connected 'by 'means of a pair 0f supporting bars .21., .In this manner the weight of they receptacley is. supported by a `pair of side rai1s14 through the medium of the side wheels. 28.

Figures 8 to 10 show a ear for .the single rope systemk provided with.y my improved clip. In this car the Ibraclftet-2Or which is operably mounted upon the sleeve of the suspension bar 14 is held in its place Vby vthe head of the main shaft 12. At each end of the bracket 20 is provided the pin 29 upon which the side wheel 28 isrotatablymounted.

The pair oi wheels 22 and `side wheels 28 are placed on `the same `side of. the head-pin 11, the wheels 22 being widerlfazpart Lfrom the head-pin 11 than the `side wheels 28 are. The carriage 24 isk rigidly connected with the extension of thevertical leveraarm '7 by means of a pair of bars 25.

In theV single rope system because of the absence of the carrying rope Athe pair of the side wheels .28 would be subject toy random oscillations whenever liberated from rthe. side rail 4, ,unless some means were 4specially provided to avoid such oscillations. As such means the working bar 30., the connecting bar 31, the compression bar 32, thek guide y.bar 34 and the compression spring 33 are provided. Such combination will adjust the position of the .bracket20 relative tov the intermediary arm 15. This resilient means permits a temporary displacement of the bracket. 2O relative .to the intermediary arm 15., but the bracket automatically resumes its normal position when the. external' force ceases to act.

N ow the action of the above mentioned car for 'the .single rope :system may briefly vbe explained.

On arriving at a station, the weight of the receptacle will be supported by the side rail V4 which is laid vat a .convergent angle to the iii-coming hauling; rolpe Owing to the gradual depressienV of the head-'pill l1 the.

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clip jaws will open, thus releasing the hauling rope 1. An analysis of this action which will not take more than the twinkling of an eye to complete, shows two stages of operation, in the first of which the eye-bars 18V tion the clip beginning theoretically7 with a neutral action changes its action into that of an integral clip and, consequently, the jaws Open much more rapidly than in the first stage of the operation.

TWhen leaving a station, the car of the above description marching by its own inertia toward the hauling rope which is running forward at a divergent angle to the side rail 1, enters the bent path 2 and brings the pair of wheels 22 into contact with the main rail 3 of the said bent path. In consequence the carriage 24C becomes parallel to the hauling rope 1, and the head-pin 11 being pressed down, the clip jaws 5 and 6 comes into contact with the hauling rope with widely open mouth. When such contact takes place, the hauling rope exerts up ward pressure on the jaws, which in cooperation with a part of the downward pressure of the main rail 8 produces a couple that ensures a sure gripping of the clip on the hauling` rope. This couple increases gradually in proportion to the increase o the upward pressure of the hauling rope and acts on the suspension bar 14, thereby causing the center of gravity of the receptacle to displace from the vertical plane passing through the side rail 4 to that passing through the hauling rope 1. The upward pressure of the hauling rope causes the clip jaws to shut and prepares the hauling rope to assume the burden of the entire' weight of the receptacle. No sooner than the weight of the receptacle is transferred from the side rail t to the hauling rope 1 the downward pressure of the jaws 5 and 6 causes them to close differentially and grip the hauling rope. The operation of the clip, upon departure of a car from a station, may be analyzed into two successive stages as upon its arrival at a station, though the change from one stage to the other talres place in the reverse order. During the first stage of operation in which the eyebars 18 gradually displace Jfrom a stooped position to a position parallel to the bottom of the trapezoid, the clip acts integrally.

During the second stage of operation in which the eye-bars gradually displace to a position turned upward in regard to the bottom, the clip acts diiierentially. The amount of the gripping force with which the jaws are able to act on the hauling rope is in inverse proportion to the speed with which the jaws close in the different stages of the operation.

Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be pel'- formed, l declare that what I claim is- 1. A clip comprising a horizontal leverarm having a aw, a vertical lever-arm also having a jaw, an arm joining the horizontal lever arm at the end opposite its jaw, and an arm pivotally interconnecting the said arm and the vertical lever arm, so construct ed that the head pin which connects the two jaws pivotally, and the tail-pins of the three arms form the vertices of a trapezoid quadrilateral, of which the line connecting the tail-pin of the intermediary arm and the tail-pin of the horizontal lever-arm forms the immovable lateral side while the vertical lever-arm forms the movable lateral side, the said clip operating in such a manner that its jaws will close when the eye-bars forming the upper side of the trapezoid turn upward away from the bottom, and the jaws will open when the said eye-bars turn down toward the said bottom.

2. A clip comprising a horizontal lever arm having a jaw, a vertical lever-arm also having a jaw, an arm oining` the horizontal lever arm at the end opposite its jaw, and an arm pivotally interconnecting the said arm and the vertical lever arm, so construct-- ed that the headepin which connects the two jaws pivotally', and the tail-pins of the three arms form the vertices of a trapezoid quad rilateral of which the line connecting the tail-pin of the intermediary arm and the tail-pin of the horizontal lever-arm forms the immovable lateral side while the vertical lever-arm l'orms the movable lateral side, the said clip operating differentially, that is to say the two jaws rotating in the same direction to approach each other, when the tail-pin of the vertical lever-arm rises above the straight line passing through the tailpin of the intermediary arm and running parallel to the bottom of the trapezoid, while the clip will act integrally, that is to say the two jaws will rotate in the opposite directions and recede from each other, when the tail-pin of the vertical lever-arm sinks below the straight line passing through the tail-pin of the intermediary arm and running parallel to the bottom of the trapezoid.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a shaft, a bracket pivotally mounted on the shaft and extending upwardly therefrom, a suspension bar pivo- Cil tally mounted on thelshaft'and depending` f=11avin.ga,jaxvat itsffree end, a vertical lever armhzwinga jaw p-ivota-ily connected to the said jaw, an arm oinngthehorzontal lever arm near its pivot and havinga-xed angular relation to the Shaft, and anqarm piv0ta1- 1y.. interconnecting the said arm` and the vertical lever` arm.

4.4 Arrangement according to claim 3 in Which-theJ bracket has azcentral. opening in which the lever system defined is angmlarly movable.y

Inl testimony Whereoil aiX `my signature.

YUSUKE TA'MAMURA. 

